We constantly examine the players Danny Ainge has acquired since becoming the Celtics‘ president of basketball operations in 2003, but rarely do we take a look at his departed assets. Bill Belichick is so often lauded for the lack of success in which his ex-Patriots have wallowed in, but Ainge’s batting average rivals The Hooded One, and that’s an important notion to keep in mind in this ever-changing Celtics world. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

For the purposes of this exercise, we’re only looking at outgoing players who appeared in games for the Celtics. That rules out training camp invitees (I see you, Michael Sweetney) and immediately waived trade acquisitions (Hi,Donte Greene). Incoming players are an entirely different story, albeit another successful one (What up, Kevin Garnett?). So, without further adieu, here’s who Ainge bid adieu to (and, yes, I just used adieu twice in a sentence).

BRYANT: Never played again.COLES: Played just one more season, averaging 1.3 points in 22 games for the Heat.LONG: Never played again.MOORE: Somehow lasted another eight seasons in the NBA, including another stint in Boston (see below), even averaging 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds from 2006-08, but c’mon: This is Mikki Moore we’re talking about.WOLKOWYSKI: Never played again.BREMER: Averaged 3.3 points over 36 games for the Cavaliers and Warriors in 2003-04, his final season.SUNDOV: Averaged 1.4 points over 36 games for the Cavaliers and Knicks from 2003-05, his final two seasons.WALKER (see below): Averaged 14.6 points, 8.7 boards in 2003-04, but sct a career-worst 26.9 percent from 3.BATTIE: Signed a four-year, $24.8 million deal in Orlando, and began declining in 2006-07.BROWN: Averaged 1.5 points over 12 games the next seasons before playing his way out of the league.WILLIAMS: Played for five teams over three more seasons before starring in Basketball Wives.JAMES: Still in the league nine seasons later, including a career year (20.3 points, 5.8 assists) in 2005-06, although averaged double-digits just once more and has played for 12 different teams.

BARROS: Never played again.HUNTER: Averaged 3.1 points over 31 games in 2004-05, his final season.MIHM: Played four more seasons for the Lakers, averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the first two years since leaving the C’s, but played only 41 games over his final two injury-riddled seasons.ATKINS: Averaged 12.2 points and 4.0 assists over his next three seasons, and then fell off the map.JONES: Out of the league within three seasons, but averaged 10.5 points for a terrible Bobcats team in 2005-06.GUGLIOTTA: Retired at the end of the season.MCCARTY: Averaged 2.4 points over 36 games in 2005-06, his final season.STEWART: Played only 12 more games in his NBA career.WELSCH: Averaged 4.3 points over 58 games in 2005-06, his final season.

PAYTON: Played two more, relatively unproductive seasons in Miami (6.6 points, 3.1 assists), but won a title.BAKER: Played all of 52 games for three teams over his final two-plus seasons.BANKS: Never averaged more than 6.6 points or 1.7 assists after the 2005-06 season.BLOUNT: Had one productive season for the Timberwolves (12.3 points, 6.2 rebounds) for a Timberwolves team that missed the playoffs with Kevin Garnett on its roster, and then decline for his final two seasons.DAVIS: Likewise, averaged 17.0 points, 4.8 assists for the same T-Wolves in 2006-07, but similarly declined.REED: Averaged 2.5 points over 41 games in 2006-07, his final season.DICKAU: Averaged 4.4 points over 117 games from 2006-08, his final two seasons.LAFRENTZ: Averaged 2.5 points over 66 games from 2006-08, his final two seasons.GREENE: Averaged 1.4 points over 51 games for three NBA teams from 2006-11.

JONES: Appeared in 58 games for three teams over next four seasons.SZCZERBIAK: Steadily declined before retiring from basketball in 2009.WEST: Averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 assists from 2007-10, but well worth a Ray Allen haul.

OLOWOKANDI: Never played again.PINKNEY: Never played again.RAY: Never played again.GREEN: In and out of the league since 2008, but didn’t average double-digits again until 2011-12.GOMES: A consistent contributor in three seasons for the Timberwolves, but …JEFFERSON: Even an up-and-coming double-double machine was worth Garnett and the 2008 NBA title.RATLIFF: Played 131 games for six teams over his final four seasons.TELFAIR: Likewise, played for five teams over his next six seasons.

BROWN: Never played again.CASSELL: Never played again.POLLARD: Never played again.POSEY: Failed to live up to the four-year, $25 million contract he signed in 2008.O’BRYANT: Averaged 1.7 points over 11 games in 2009-10, his final season.

MARBURY: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MOORE: Still Mikki Moore.POWE: Played 50 games for the Cavaliers and Grizzlies over his final two injury-plauged seasons.PRUITT: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.HUDSON: Played 36 games for three teams in his final two-plus seasons.GIDDENS: Out of the league at the end of the season.HOUSE: Averaged 6.5 points over 74 games for two teams through 2011, his final season.WALKER: Out of the league by age 25.LANDRY: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.

ALLEN: Probably the biggest mistake of the Ainge era, TA became a consistent contributor for a perennial playoff team at relatively srt dollars ($3-4 million), earning three NBA All-Defensive nods.FINLEY: Never played again.SCALABRINE: Averaged 1.1 points over 46 games for the Bulls from 2010-12, his final two seasons.WILLIAMS: Played 117 games for three different teams from 2010-12, his final two seasons.WALLACE: Played 21 games for the Knicks last season after a two-year hiatus, and then retired.LAFAYETTE: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.ERDEN: Returned to Turkey in 2012.HARANGODY: Averaged 2.9 points over 21 games in 2011-12, his final season.PERKINS: Has steadily declined to averages of 3.2 points and 4.2 rebounds this season.ROBINSON: Averaging 11.7 points, 4.0 assists since, but still Nate Robinson.JOHNSON: Played 57 games for three teams from 2011-13, his final two seasons.

ARROYO: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.KRSTIC: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MURPHY: Averaged 3.5 points for two teams from 2011-13, his final two seasons.S. O’NEAL: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.WEST: Released from the Mavericks in 2012.DAVIS: Averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds since, but landed Brandon Bass in return.WAFER: Averaged 5.9 points over 33 games in 2011-12, his final season.J. O’NEAL: Averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds over 72 games for the Suns and Warriors since.

ALLEN: Not much Ainge could have done about this one, since he offered twice the Heat’s average annual value, and while Allen essentially won Miami last year’s title with his Game 6 3-pointer, he’s now averaging career lows.DANIELS: Out of the league within a season.DOOLING: Played all of seven games since.HOLLINS: Averaging 3.1 points over 91 games for the Clippers since.PAVLOVIC: Out of the league within a season.PIETRUS: Out of the league within a season.STIEMSMA: Averaging 3.8 points over 89 games for two teams since.JOHNSON: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MOORE: Averaging 7.2 points, 2.4 assists since, but worth Courtney Lee at the time.S. WILLIAMS: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MILICIC: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.JOSEPH: Scored two points in four games for the Nets last season.VARNADO: Scored two points in eight games for the Heat last season.BARBOSA: Made his return from ACL surgery at age 31 on Wednesday.COLLINS: Scored four points in six games for the Wizards last season.T. WILLIAMS: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.

WILCOX: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.GARNETT: Averaging career-low 6.3 points (36.8 FG%) this season.PIERCE: Averaging career-low 12.8 points (39.8 FG%) this season.TERRY: Averaging career-low 4.6 points (38.3 FG%) this season.WHITE: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.RANDOLPH: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MELO: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.LEE: TBA.

With the exception of letting Tony Allen leave via free agency after reaching the 2010 NBA Finals, Ainge has been nearly flawless in this regard since taking over in 2003. Heck, even Belichick let Wes Welker walk. Sure, the C’s president waived goodbye to an aging Ray Allen, an about-to-be-overpaid Tony Battie and both Chucky Atkins andMike James — who respectively helped land first-round picks that eventually turned into Rajon Rondo and (ironically) Tony Allen — but he’s seen exactly 100 players (including Antoine Walker, Mikki Moore and Delonte West twice) leave Boston after wearing a Celtics uniform and made only one glaring mistake.

So, as Courtney Lee departs, Brandon Bass sits upon the chopping block and decisions on a logjam of Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford and Jerryd Bayless loom this summer, keep Ainge’s track record in mind.

Interesting, but you do understand that Ainge couldn't have got rid of these guys without first having signed them to begin with, right?

They didn't just walk into the locker room and play until Danny found them out and sent them packing. He brought them to Boston.

To me this laundry list of fading, marginal, or sub-marginal players also points to a certain myopic view taken by Ainge, especially during the Big 3 era. He must have thought that guys like this were adequate to populate the bench temporarily while riding KG, Allen, and Pierce til the wheels fell off.

The point is that they didn't start to lose it or be bad players only after they were let go. They were bad when they were here. And Ainge was the one who brought them in.

To me it also indicates that the whole GM thing is an inexact science; if you work hard at it, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, and have decent instincts, you should be successful at it.

Interesting, but you do understand that Ainge couldn't have got rid of these guys without first having signed them to begin with, right?

They didn't just walk into the locker room and play until Danny found them out and sent them packing. He brought them to Boston.

To me this laundry list of fading, marginal, or sub-marginal players also points to a certain myopic view taken by Ainge, especially during the Big 3 era. He must have thought that guys like this were adequate to populate the bench temporarily while riding KG, Allen, and Pierce til the wheels fell off.

The point is that they didn't start to lose it or be bad players only after they were let go. They were bad when they were here. And Ainge was the one who brought them in.

To me it also indicates that the whole GM thing is an inexact science; if you work hard at it, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, and have decent instincts, you should be successful at it.

But I'm still shaking my head over Joe Forte!

Ainge wasn't with the Celtics when Joe Forte was selected.

No one said he was. Red Auerbach gets credit for Forte. I thought everyone knew that.

this paints an unduly rosey picture of ainge's personnel moves. it's well worth mentioning that the perk-jeff green deal would have been better off not made AT ALL. and let perkins walk and be a bloated salary stiff for someone else

the glen davis for brandon bass deal was terrible. dumb idea. bass had peaked in all his PER stats his breakout (2nd) season with Dallas and had stagnated / regressed since.

the things that ainge DID NOT DO over the years are also very important...

1) he never pushed rondo to improve- rather after 20 games of decent play of constant garbage time the end of rondo's rook year, he was annointed "the starting PG of the future"- a massive talent management gaffe that has led to rondo barely improving his game since then

2) the supporting cast choices were generally horrible during our contending years- picking up yesterday's newspaper for playoff roster only for help at backup PG and the 5. posey was the last quality 6th man we had other than davis who often started

3) as "general manager" he failed to manage doc rivers into developing consistent rotations for years and years- it only got worse as time went on

4) he dumped clifford ray in a swamp a few years ago over ray needing foot surgery- he failed to support ray through what would have been a recovery time that cut into the next season a little bit. very class-less move and we have had no big man coach since and lackluster big man play / fundamentals since

5) he drafted melo- a horrible player. come to think of it, what draft day wins has he had in all these years? rondo, glen davis, who else?

6) he has not made any advances in scouting / harvesting euro players. meanwhile the wolves and the magic have euro double double machine old style big men

7) he signed a CLEARLY all-done-in-boston doc ribbers to a ludicrous 5 year extension.... a terrible move that exuded zero common sense.

8) after shaq VOLUNTEERED to sign for 1.2 million, he signed a washed up KG for NEARLY TEN TIMES THAT for 3 years making us totally unable to field a STRONG supporting cast with all that money tied up in KG, when KG should have signed for 1 or 2 million like shack did.

9) the pierce contract extension at a staggering 15 million per year after it was visually apparent pierce was past his prime guaranteed us mediocrity in the sunset years of the big 3........ add in #8 with the loudicrous KG signing at 11 million and ainge KILLED our chances of truly competing- multiple unforced errors in contract signings that made a huge difference.

10) he signed flabby sheed for TWO YEARS and after one year of sheed playing terrible ball for us that was slightly mitigated by him showing up for the playoffs but his fat out of shape body betraying him, there were NO TAKERS for that contract the second year- sheed guzzled ring dings from home and made the mid level exception while WE HAD NO MID LEVEL EXCEPTION CRUCIAL BENCH GUY ON OUR ROSTER.

the sheed signing was small in dollar errors but huge in roster role player gaping cavernous hole- everyone came back a year older and we had blown our mid level on a worthless fatso who never suited up

Interesting, but you do understand that Ainge couldn't have got rid of these guys without first having signed them to begin with, right?

They didn't just walk into the locker room and play until Danny found them out and sent them packing. He brought them to Boston.

To me this laundry list of fading, marginal, or sub-marginal players also points to a certain myopic view taken by Ainge, especially during the Big 3 era. He must have thought that guys like this were adequate to populate the bench temporarily while riding KG, Allen, and Pierce til the wheels fell off.

The point is that they didn't start to lose it or be bad players only after they were let go. They were bad when they were here. And Ainge was the one who brought them in.

To me it also indicates that the whole GM thing is an inexact science; if you work hard at it, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, and have decent instincts, you should be successful at it.

this paints an unduly rosey picture of ainge's personnel moves. it's well worth mentioning that the perk-jeff green deal would have been better off not made AT ALL. and let perkins walk and be a bloated salary stiff for someone else

the glen davis for brandon bass deal was terrible. dumb idea. bass had peaked in all his PER stats his breakout (2nd) season with Dallas and had stagnated / regressed since.

the things that ainge DID NOT DO over the years are also very important...

1) he never pushed rondo to improve- rather after 20 games of decent play of constant garbage time the end of rondo's rook year, he was annointed "the starting PG of the future"- a massive talent management gaffe that has led to rondo barely improving his game since then

2) the supporting cast choices were generally horrible during our contending years- picking up yesterday's newspaper for playoff roster only for help at backup PG and the 5. posey was the last quality 6th man we had other than davis who often started

3) as "general manager" he failed to manage doc rivers into developing consistent rotations for years and years- it only got worse as time went on

4) he dumped clifford ray in a swamp a few years ago over ray needing foot surgery- he failed to support ray through what would have been a recovery time that cut into the next season a little bit. very class-less move and we have had no big man coach since and lackluster big man play / fundamentals since

5) he drafted melo- a horrible player. come to think of it, what draft day wins has he had in all these years? rondo, glen davis, who else?

6) he has not made any advances in scouting / harvesting euro players. meanwhile the wolves and the magic have euro double double machine old style big men

7) he signed a CLEARLY all-done-in-boston doc ribbers to a ludicrous 5 year extension.... a terrible move that exuded zero common sense.

8) after shaq VOLUNTEERED to sign for 1.2 million, he signed a washed up KG for NEARLY TEN TIMES THAT for 3 years making us totally unable to field a STRONG supporting cast with all that money tied up in KG, when KG should have signed for 1 or 2 million like shack did.

9) the pierce contract extension at a staggering 15 million per year after it was visually apparent pierce was past his prime guaranteed us mediocrity in the sunset years of the big 3........ add in #8 with the loudicrous KG signing at 11 million and ainge KILLED our chances of truly competing- multiple unforced errors in contract signings that made a huge difference.

acimvp's post was good reading and made sense, but I would guess that every general manager would have a similar laundry list of mistakes as well especially with the bottom-of-the-roster type type guys. Even last year's No. draft pick has not turned out well for the Cleveland GM.

I don't think that you can only compare Ainge's mistakes only against himself, but rather need to compare him against other GMs who have been with their teams for at least around the same number of years that Ainge has been in Boston.

In my opinion, the GM's job is to provide his coach with a roster that has a chance to get to the playoffs every season. Considering that aspect, Ainge has pretty much done that every year and will again (althoughmaybe not this year), too.

acimvp's post was good reading and made sense, but I would guess that every general manager would have a similar laundry list of mistakes as well especially with the bottom-of-the-roster type type guys. Even last year's No. draft pick has not turned out well for the Cleveland GM.

I don't think that you can only compare Ainge's mistakes only against himself, but rather need to compare him against other GMs who have been with their teams for at least around the same number of years that Ainge has been in Boston.

In my opinion, the GM's job is to provide his coach with a roster that has a chance to get to the playoffs every season. Considering that aspect, Ainge has pretty much done that every year and will again (althoughmaybe not this year), too.

I agree with most of your points - a GM's job is to balance the books and build a title contender. Sometimes teams have to be bad to be good, i.e. this years Cs!

okay. sullinger and oly- both unproven big men who could just as easily be injury problem and travis knight. too early to tell. oly will never be a banger, might end up being a soft 12 and 5 from the perimeter? what would he be on a really good team? hard to tell.

i like both of these young guys, but hard to tell what they will pan out into. we are not using sullinger properly right now and i wish he'd not take any more 3's, he's not good at it.

We constantly examine the players Danny Ainge has acquired since becoming the Celtics‘ president of basketball operations in 2003, but rarely do we take a look at his departed assets. Bill Belichick is so often lauded for the lack of success in which his ex-Patriots have wallowed in, but Ainge’s batting average rivals The Hooded One, and that’s an important notion to keep in mind in this ever-changing Celtics world. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

For the purposes of this exercise, we’re only looking at outgoing players who appeared in games for the Celtics. That rules out training camp invitees (I see you, Michael Sweetney) and immediately waived trade acquisitions (Hi,Donte Greene). Incoming players are an entirely different story, albeit another successful one (What up, Kevin Garnett?). So, without further adieu, here’s who Ainge bid adieu to (and, yes, I just used adieu twice in a sentence).

BRYANT: Never played again.COLES: Played just one more season, averaging 1.3 points in 22 games for the Heat.LONG: Never played again.MOORE: Somehow lasted another eight seasons in the NBA, including another stint in Boston (see below), even averaging 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds from 2006-08, but c’mon: This is Mikki Moore we’re talking about.WOLKOWYSKI: Never played again.BREMER: Averaged 3.3 points over 36 games for the Cavaliers and Warriors in 2003-04, his final season.SUNDOV: Averaged 1.4 points over 36 games for the Cavaliers and Knicks from 2003-05, his final two seasons.WALKER (see below): Averaged 14.6 points, 8.7 boards in 2003-04, but sct a career-worst 26.9 percent from 3.BATTIE: Signed a four-year, $24.8 million deal in Orlando, and began declining in 2006-07.BROWN: Averaged 1.5 points over 12 games the next seasons before playing his way out of the league.WILLIAMS: Played for five teams over three more seasons before starring in Basketball Wives.JAMES: Still in the league nine seasons later, including a career year (20.3 points, 5.8 assists) in 2005-06, although averaged double-digits just once more and has played for 12 different teams.

BARROS: Never played again.HUNTER: Averaged 3.1 points over 31 games in 2004-05, his final season.MIHM: Played four more seasons for the Lakers, averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the first two years since leaving the C’s, but played only 41 games over his final two injury-riddled seasons.ATKINS: Averaged 12.2 points and 4.0 assists over his next three seasons, and then fell off the map.JONES: Out of the league within three seasons, but averaged 10.5 points for a terrible Bobcats team in 2005-06.GUGLIOTTA: Retired at the end of the season.MCCARTY: Averaged 2.4 points over 36 games in 2005-06, his final season.STEWART: Played only 12 more games in his NBA career.WELSCH: Averaged 4.3 points over 58 games in 2005-06, his final season.

PAYTON: Played two more, relatively unproductive seasons in Miami (6.6 points, 3.1 assists), but won a title.BAKER: Played all of 52 games for three teams over his final two-plus seasons.BANKS: Never averaged more than 6.6 points or 1.7 assists after the 2005-06 season.BLOUNT: Had one productive season for the Timberwolves (12.3 points, 6.2 rebounds) for a Timberwolves team that missed the playoffs with Kevin Garnett on its roster, and then decline for his final two seasons.DAVIS: Likewise, averaged 17.0 points, 4.8 assists for the same T-Wolves in 2006-07, but similarly declined.REED: Averaged 2.5 points over 41 games in 2006-07, his final season.DICKAU: Averaged 4.4 points over 117 games from 2006-08, his final two seasons.LAFRENTZ: Averaged 2.5 points over 66 games from 2006-08, his final two seasons.GREENE: Averaged 1.4 points over 51 games for three NBA teams from 2006-11.

JONES: Appeared in 58 games for three teams over next four seasons.SZCZERBIAK: Steadily declined before retiring from basketball in 2009.WEST: Averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 assists from 2007-10, but well worth a Ray Allen haul.

OLOWOKANDI: Never played again.PINKNEY: Never played again.RAY: Never played again.GREEN: In and out of the league since 2008, but didn’t average double-digits again until 2011-12.GOMES: A consistent contributor in three seasons for the Timberwolves, but …JEFFERSON: Even an up-and-coming double-double machine was worth Garnett and the 2008 NBA title.RATLIFF: Played 131 games for six teams over his final four seasons.TELFAIR: Likewise, played for five teams over his next six seasons.

BROWN: Never played again.CASSELL: Never played again.POLLARD: Never played again.POSEY: Failed to live up to the four-year, $25 million contract he signed in 2008.O’BRYANT: Averaged 1.7 points over 11 games in 2009-10, his final season.

MARBURY: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MOORE: Still Mikki Moore.POWE: Played 50 games for the Cavaliers and Grizzlies over his final two injury-plauged seasons.PRUITT: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.HUDSON: Played 36 games for three teams in his final two-plus seasons.GIDDENS: Out of the league at the end of the season.HOUSE: Averaged 6.5 points over 74 games for two teams through 2011, his final season.WALKER: Out of the league by age 25.LANDRY: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.

ALLEN: Probably the biggest mistake of the Ainge era, TA became a consistent contributor for a perennial playoff team at relatively srt dollars ($3-4 million), earning three NBA All-Defensive nods.FINLEY: Never played again.SCALABRINE: Averaged 1.1 points over 46 games for the Bulls from 2010-12, his final two seasons.WILLIAMS: Played 117 games for three different teams from 2010-12, his final two seasons.WALLACE: Played 21 games for the Knicks last season after a two-year hiatus, and then retired.LAFAYETTE: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.ERDEN: Returned to Turkey in 2012.HARANGODY: Averaged 2.9 points over 21 games in 2011-12, his final season.PERKINS: Has steadily declined to averages of 3.2 points and 4.2 rebounds this season.ROBINSON: Averaging 11.7 points, 4.0 assists since, but still Nate Robinson.JOHNSON: Played 57 games for three teams from 2011-13, his final two seasons.

ARROYO: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.KRSTIC: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MURPHY: Averaged 3.5 points for two teams from 2011-13, his final two seasons.S. O’NEAL: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.WEST: Released from the Mavericks in 2012.DAVIS: Averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds since, but landed Brandon Bass in return.WAFER: Averaged 5.9 points over 33 games in 2011-12, his final season.J. O’NEAL: Averaging 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds over 72 games for the Suns and Warriors since.

ALLEN: Not much Ainge could have done about this one, since he offered twice the Heat’s average annual value, and while Allen essentially won Miami last year’s title with his Game 6 3-pointer, he’s now averaging career lows.DANIELS: Out of the league within a season.DOOLING: Played all of seven games since.HOLLINS: Averaging 3.1 points over 91 games for the Clippers since.PAVLOVIC: Out of the league within a season.PIETRUS: Out of the league within a season.STIEMSMA: Averaging 3.8 points over 89 games for two teams since.JOHNSON: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MOORE: Averaging 7.2 points, 2.4 assists since, but worth Courtney Lee at the time.S. WILLIAMS: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MILICIC: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.JOSEPH: Scored two points in four games for the Nets last season.VARNADO: Scored two points in eight games for the Heat last season.BARBOSA: Made his return from ACL surgery at age 31 on Wednesday.COLLINS: Scored four points in six games for the Wizards last season.T. WILLIAMS: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.

WILCOX: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.GARNETT: Averaging career-low 6.3 points (36.8 FG%) this season.PIERCE: Averaging career-low 12.8 points (39.8 FG%) this season.TERRY: Averaging career-low 4.6 points (38.3 FG%) this season.WHITE: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.RANDOLPH: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.MELO: Hasn’t played in the NBA since.LEE: TBA.

With the exception of letting Tony Allen leave via free agency after reaching the 2010 NBA Finals, Ainge has been nearly flawless in this regard since taking over in 2003. Heck, even Belichick let Wes Welker walk. Sure, the C’s president waived goodbye to an aging Ray Allen, an about-to-be-overpaid Tony Battie and both Chucky Atkins andMike James — who respectively helped land first-round picks that eventually turned into Rajon Rondo and (ironically) Tony Allen — but he’s seen exactly 100 players (including Antoine Walker, Mikki Moore and Delonte West twice) leave Boston after wearing a Celtics uniform and made only one glaring mistake.

So, as Courtney Lee departs, Brandon Bass sits upon the chopping block and decisions on a logjam of Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford and Jerryd Bayless loom this summer, keep Ainge’s track record in mind.

1. Not drafting DeAndre Jordan when we only had Perk even though I begged him to on this page(must not read the Globe sports page)

2. Going after Sheed instead of Artest ( like I begged for years here) then watching Artest put the dagger in us for our last run for the ring.(Artest was the best Pierce killer and I wanted him on our side)

3. I think we got bad Karma for dumping Leon Powe the way we did. We didnt have to break the bank to keep him.

4. We should have kept Perk and Nate Robinson. Especially seeing how they have helped the teams they moved to. (Nate in Chicago and Perk helping OKC to their 1st NBA finals)

5.Trading Ray so many times and ticking him off, accelerating our decline.

6. Drafting Fab Melo over any other useful big (I liked Festus Ezeli but Miles Plumlee appears to be better)

But I don't have all the info he did so maybe he had good reason to kick Ray out and not sign Powe to at least 1 year.

But no excuse for the bad draft picks to me. I told him here who looked like a player!!!! (Like Phil Pressey last summer)

1. Not drafting DeAndre Jordan when we only had Perk even though I begged him to on this page(must not read the Globe sports page)

2. Going after Sheed instead of Artest ( like I begged for years here) then watching Artest put the dagger in us for our last run for the ring.(Artest was the best Pierce killer and I wanted him on our side)

3. I think we got bad Karma for dumping Leon Powe the way we did. We didnt have to break the bank to keep him.

4. We should have kept Perk and Nate Robinson. Especially seeing how they have helped the teams they moved to. (Nate in Chicago and Perk helping OKC to their 1st NBA finals)

5.Trading Ray so many times and ticking him off, accelerating our decline.

6. Drafting Fab Melo over any other useful big (I liked Festus Ezeli but Miles Plumlee appears to be better)

But I don't have all the info he did so maybe he had good reason to kick Ray out and not sign Powe to at least 1 year.

But no excuse for the bad draft picks to me. I told him here who looked like a player!!!! (Like Phil Pressey last summer)

I'm not always right, but I'm NEVER WRONG! HA HA HA HA

It 's funny how things work out sometimes - the Cs end up with Pressey without having to draft him!